``At the root of all war is fear: not so much the fear men have of one another as the fear they have of everything. It is not merely that they do not trust one another; th ey do not trust themselves …They cannot trust anything, because they have ceased to believe in God. It is not only our hatred of others that is dangerous but also and above all our hatred of ourselves: particularly that hatred of ourselves which is too deep and too powerful to be consciously faced. For it is this which makes us see our own evil in others and unable to see it in ourselves.''   --- Thomas Merton

Prelude
Special Music (Connie Warkentin)
        Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand.
        Ponder nothing earthly minded, for with blessing in his hand
Christ our God to earth decendeth, our full homage to demand.
Call to Worship
Light Candle for Dick Lehman
        
Leader: We live in troubled times. Ceaseless wars, gun violence in the streets, violence as entertainment, and domestic violence all deepening our sense of despair and darkness. Take heart!
All: The Lord our God will come to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Chant: Zechariah's Song (Luke 1:68-79)

Lighting the First Advent Candle
         `` I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.
That is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant.''--- Martin Luther King Jr.

Hymn: Hope is a candle STS #15
Offering
A Time for All God's Children*
Hymn: Christ is coming! Let creation HWB #295
Scripture Reading: Malachi 3:1-4
Scripture Reading: Luke 3:1-6
Sermon:
Sermon Response:
Congregational Reading:
Leader: ``The Lord's coming `to judge,'' i.e., to set things right, will be soon, but not right now.
It does not bypass our ongoing struggle; yet the criterion guiding us in the struggle is not
whether we win, not whether we can implement lesser-evil calculations to get there,
but whether we keep the faith.'' --- John Howard Yoder
All: ``Have mercy on those who wait for you, Lord,
and you shall find your prophets keeping faith.'' ---From monastic liturgy

Hymn:    Put peace into each other's hands       STJ #87
Sharing Our Lives and Sharing our Prayers
Sending
Hymn: I want to walk as a child of the light STJ #95
Benediction